India has invited leaders of the BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation grouping to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony. The Ministry of External Affairs said in a sattement: "The Government of India has invited the leaders of the BIMSTEC member states for the swearing-in ceremony. PM Modi had participated in the fourth BIMSTEC summit in Kathmandu last year. India had also called BIMSTEC leaders for a retreat in Goa in 2016 when India hosted the BRICS summit. India's focus has been BIMSTEC since the cancellation of SAARC summit in 2016.

Source: dna May 27, 2019 23:26 UTC